Sand trucks are delivering 400,000 tons of sand to five stretches of Sanibel’s beaches for a beach restoration project that began in late December. SCCF is monitoring wildlife during the project, which will be completed in April prior to sea turtle nesting season. The intent of the City of Sanibel project is to renourish the beaches following erosion after Hurricane Ian.

Whenever such beach construction projects occur on Sanibel or Captiva, SCCF plays a vital role in ensuring the safety of our beach-nesting wildlife like shorebirds and sea turtles. By serving as permitted monitors, SCCF observes and collects daily data on the status of wildlife and nesting activities within and surrounding construction areas.

“While the permitting agencies make the final decision regarding when and where projects are approved, our staff will continue working hard to minimize impacts to coastal wildlife,” said Coastal Wildlife Director and Sea Turtle Program Coordinator Kelly Sloan. 

SCCF has no involvement in planning or approving these projects, but our wildlife staff are contracted to monitor projects on the islands after permits have already been issued by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and/or Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

• Permitted wildlife monitors may be required for various types of beach construction projects, including renourishment, dredging, or seawall placement.
• When monitoring beach construction projects, SCCF works closely with the City of Sanibel’s Natural Resources Department, the Captiva Erosion Prevention District, and Lee County to ensure that coastal wildlife are monitored and protected.
• Sea turtle monitoring must be added as an authorized activity under the Marine Turtle Permit Holder’s permit.

In most cases, SCCF staff monitor the beach each day for sea turtle and shorebird activity before construction work can begin and coordinate with the appropriate state and federal agencies if any issues arise.

For beach projects permitted by the DEP, there are typically special conditions from FWC pertaining to protected species that may be impacted by the work. Work being conducted under emergency orders may be subject to different terms.

Some projects require a Biological Opinion from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), which analyzes the effects of the proposed project to any species listed under the Endangered Species Act and/or federally designated critical habitats.

Shorebirds

Sanibel is home to state-threatened beach nesting birds including snowy plovers (Anarhynchus nivosus) and least terns (Sternula antillarum).

Any construction project on the beach that may impact nesting shorebirds during Feb. 15 to Aug. 31 requires daily monitoring by Imperiled Beach-nesting Bird (IBNB) Permitted Monitors, which are individuals with shorebird survey and identification training. Both of SCCF’s shorebird staff have this qualification.

IBNB monitors collect and enter data into the Florida Shorebird Database, which is FWC’s database for statewide shorebird and seabird nest monitoring.

Contractors or municipalities looking to start a beach construction project can use tools like FWC’s Shoremapper to identify potential shorebird nesting locations. Early identification of these sites allows project managers to plan ahead to minimize impacts to birds and their habitat.

If a project requires a permit with an associated Biological Opinion, then additional monitoring is required during the non-breeding season for federally threatened shorebird species including piping plovers (Charadrius melodus) and red knots (Calidris canutus). Trained biologists must record all shorebird species seen and collect additional data for the target species, including flock size, location, behavior, habitat, and if any are banded birds. All of these data are submitted to the USFWS.

Sea Turtles

Beach projects that have the potential to impact nesting sea turtles, sea turtle nests, or hatchlings require an authorized marine turtle monitor. When these projects occur on Sanibel or Captiva, SCCF takes on these additional responsibilities as the organization with the permit for sea turtle monitoring on the beaches.

During nesting season (May 1 to Oct. 31, with SCCF monitoring beginning as early as April 15), work areas are surveyed for any turtle activity first thing in the morning. Work can only begin once the area has been surveyed and monitors have given the “all clear.”

In some instances, all nests must be relocated from an area before work can begin. This monitoring and any associated relocation of nests must be added as an additional authorized activity under the Marine Turtle Permit Holder’s permit.

Nests are carefully moved from an area where work is currently occurring or where work will be occurring within a newly laid nest’s incubation duration (65 days) and moved to an area without construction project activity. This prevents eggs and hatchlings from being buried under large amounts of placed sand and instead affords the nest greater opportunity for success in a suitable incubation environment.

“While the permitting agencies make the final decision regarding when and where projects are approved, our staff will continue working hard to minimize impacts to coastal wildlife,” said Coastal Wildlife Director and Sea Turtle Program Coordinator Kelly Sloan.